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Statesmen Win NCAA Opener

Posted on Sunday, November 18, 2012

Seventh-ranked Hobart College dominated time of possession and outrushed the No. 1 rushing team in the nation, defeating Washington & Lee University 38-20 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. Hobart will host Wittenberg at noon on Saturday, Nov. 24 in the second round.

The Statesmen had the ball for 36:36, rushing for 284 yards and five touchdowns while limiting the Generals to a season-low 188 yards on the ground. Junior tailback Steven Webb ran for 99 yards and three touchdowns for Hobart (11-0). Senior tailback Bobby Dougherty added 81 yards and a TD and sophomore fullback Dominique Ellis ran for 56 yards. Hobart did not have a single negative play on offense, until it took a knee twice to run out the clock at the end of the game.

Senior quarterback Nick Strang completed 10 of 21 passes for 96 yards, including a team-high five for 40 yards to senior wideout Junior Woodard. Woodard has at least one reception in 31 consecutive games, one shy of the Hobart record.

Senior linebacker Andrew Klindera recorded a season-high 11 tackles to lead the Statesmen defense. Defensive ends sophomore Tyre Coleman and first-year Mark Guarino-Hyde each produced eight tackles. Sophomore linebacker Nolan Toran made four stops and an interception.

W&L scored on the game's opening drive, going 70 yards in 11 plays. Heinsohn punched it in from 2 yards out for a 7-0 lead. Hobart countered with an impressive march of its own, driving 66 yards in 17 plays. Webb scored his first TD on a 1-yard dive over the pile. The Statesmen forced the Generals to punt after three plays, the only punt of the game, setting Hobart up for another scoring drive at its own 44.

The Statesmen claimed their first lead of the day on a 12-play, 56-yard march that Dougherty capped with a 3-yard scamper. This time it was Washington & Lee's turn to answer, moving 73 yards in 11 plays. Lombardo scored on a 5-yard run to knot the score at 14-all with 4:32 left in the half.

Hobart drove deep into Generals' territory late in the half, setting up the turning point of the game. The Statesmen faced third and goal from the 1. Strang's pass off the mark and Pelton nearly made a diving interception. With a second chance at the end zone, Hobart gave the ball to Webb, who swept around the left end for a 21-14 halftime lead.

Hobart got the ball back to start the second half and ran 17 plays and 7:30 off the clock before first-year James Hull booted a 25-yard field goal for a 10-point lead.

The Statesmen opened the fourth quarter scoring with a 3-yard Webb run that gave the home team a 31-14 advantage with 14:31 remaining.

W&L scored its final TD on a 9-yard pass from Lombardo to Chester with 10:20 to go. The extra point hit the upright, leaving Hobart a 31-20 lead.

Toran's interception with 5:26 to go, set up the final TD of the day. On fourth-and-1 from the Generals' 15, Strang's sneak attempt turned into a 15-yard scoring run, securing the Statesmen a place in the second round.

GAME NOTES

Hobart is now 5-6 in seven NCAA Playoff appearances ... On Hobart's second touchdown, Hull broke the season record for PATs made with his 49th. Dominick Ancona was the previous record-holder with 48 in 2007. Hull is 52-of-57 for the year ... Dougherty has a team-high 18 rushing touchdowns this season, one shy of the Hobart record set by Don Aleksiewicz in 1971 ... Woodard has 55 receptions (tied for 7th on Hobart's season list) for 821 yards (6th) this season ... Hobart broke the school record for points in a season, raising the 2012 total to 427. The previous mark was 390 in 2007.